None of the teams in the NFC East are complete. That’s not super unusual or anything like that, but the number of glaring roster holes around the division is pretty impressive.
The Philadelphia Eagles haven’t had a great pass rush, the Dallas Cowboys only have an offense, the Washington Commanders have a litany of problems, and the New York Giants have a solid rookie quarterback and a defensive line. There’s a lot of room for all of these teams to build before the trade deadline on November 4th.
A whole bunch of problems and not a whole bunch of actual answers
Every single year, Howie Roseman says that he’s not done building the Eagles’ roster until the trade deadline. That’s a great mentality to have, and based on how awesome the Eagles have been under Roseman, he’s clearly onto something.
There’s a big difference between him and the other teams in the division. Jerry Jones is the Cowboys’ owner and general manager, and he’s a lunatic who’s focused more on making money than winning. Adam Peters is the Commanders’ GM, and he’s busy trying (and failing) to make sure Jayden Daniels doesn’t tank in his second season. Joe Schoen is the Giants’ GM, and he calls people on the phone. Roseman is building teams that can win the Super Bowl.
Every franchise is in a different situation, but they’re all trying to navigate the trade deadline. It’s a job that deserves zero envy. They have roster holes, guys they can trade that would inevitably create roster holes, and a list of names that they can trade for to fill those roster holes.
This is what every team in the NFC East can do to fix their problems, while also lessening any future problems.
Philadelphia Eagles:
Going into this week, the Eagles needed real help in two spots: cornerback and edge rusher. If they wanted to get cocky, they could go after a tight end, but that’s not a huge need right now.
On Wednesday afternoon, they sent wide receiver John Metchie and a sixth-round pick to the Jets for slot corner Michael Carter and a seventh-round pick. Carter’s a capable player, and it might mean that in a handful of weeks (read: when Vic Fangio says he’s ready), he could get the starting nickel job. That would mean Cooper DeJean would be the starting outside corner opposite Quinyon Mitchell.
If that’s the plan: bada bing, bada boom. The job’s done there. Unfortunately, the timing could be a little bit better. Because the acclimation period is so long in the Fangio defense (especially for that nickel position), the Eagles would be smart to keep both Kelee Ringo and Adoree’ Jackson, who are two guys that are tradable.
As for the edge rusher position, think about it like this: In the offseason, the Eagles let Josh Sweat walk, and they didn’t really replace him. They signed Josh Uche, Azeez Ojulari, Patrick Johnson, and Za’Darius Smith… But Uche and Johnson haven’t been amazing, Ojulari got hurt again, and Smith retired. Making a move for an edge guy at the trade deadline would be replacing Josh Sweat, but eight months later.
Trade for: Jermaine Johnson
The Eagles have three (projected) third-round picks in 2026. If it were prison and those were cigarettes, Howie Roseman would be doing just fine for himself. If there's a price to pay for an edge rusher who’s not elite, but still very good, he can afford it.
Jermaine Johnson is that guy. He was one of the Jets’ first-round draft picks in the 2022 draft (26th overall). That means if the Eagles traded for him, he would be the sixth first-round pick from that draft that they’ve had on their roster this season.
On top of that (and more importantly), he’s a good football player. He popped his Achilles early in the 2024 season, and this season, his numbers aren’t great because he’s on a bad team and is getting no help from anyone. That means he won’t be nearly as expensive as he probably should be.
He was a Pro Bowler in 2023 (albeit a replacement one), and he looks healthy now. If there is a hang-up here, it’s that the last time the Eagles picked up an edge rusher from the 2023 Jets (Bryce Huff), he totally stunk.
If that scares Howie Roseman off, then he should trade for Bradley Chubb from the Dolphins. Yes, he was part of the 2023 Miami defense that hated Vic Fangio, but Chubb might be a little different because he spent three years with Fangio when they were both in Denver.
Dallas Cowboys:
The Dallas Cowboys have one mega-sized problem, and it’s the 11 guys who are supposed to stop the other team’s offense. Most people call that a defense, but based on what’s going on in Dallas, it’s an insult to the game of football to call theirs a defense.
They could really use a guy like Micah Parsons, but … well … you know how it is. Luckily, they could use the draft picks that they got for Parsons and overpay for a different edge rusher who’s really good, but not as good as Parsons.
Trade for: Maxx Crosby
Maxx Crosby rocks. Edge rusher is an incredibly rotatable position, but he doesn’t leave the field. In the past three full seasons, he’s played an average of 95% of defensive snaps. This season, that number falls to a measly 88% because he missed the second half of the Raiders' game against the Chiefs in Week 7.
Now, the Raiders did say that they told Crosby they weren’t going to trade him, and maybe that’s true… but that’s the exact kind of thing you would do if you were looking to make suitors juice up their trade offers.
That’s where the Cowboys come in. In addition to their own 2026 first-round pick, they also have the Packers’ 2026 and 2027 first-round draft picks; Jerry Jones is sitting on a pile of gold figuratively and also probably literally.
The other part of this is that back in March, the Raiders just signed Crosby to a mega-deal: three years for $106.5 million. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I understand the implications a trade like this would have on either team’s salary cap…
But the Cowboys probably don’t really care about absorbing that contract and paying an elite player a huge amount of money; That’s exactly what they wanted to do with Parsons.
Washington Commanders:
The Washington Commanders are in a hole of their own making because they spent the entire offseason adding and re-signing a whole bunch of old players to their roster … this is them:
Name | Age |
|---|---|
Laremy Tunsil | 29 |
Deebo Samuel | 29 |
Deatrich Wise | 31 |
Jacob Martin | 29 |
Will Harris | 29 |
Von Miller | 36 |
Eddie Goldman | 31 |
Jeremy McNichols | 29 |
Bobby Wagner | 35 |
Zach Ertz | 34 |
Marcus Mariota | 31 |
Jonathan Jones | 32 |
Noah Brown | 29 |
Terry McLaurin | 30 |
I’m not saying old players can’t be good; they are all the time … BUT buddy, that’s a hell of a gamble. You’re not only hoping that these guys haven’t fallen off a cliff, and you’re also hoping that little dings don’t turn into injuries.
Bobby Wagner has certainly fallen off the cliff, and Terry McLaurin’s quad thing has caused him to miss more time this season than all of his other seasons combined. Is it age related? Maybe not… but probably.
On top of that, the Commanders only have six draft picks next season: a first, a third, a fifth, two sixths, and a seventh. If you’re looking to build a sustainable roster around Jayden Daniels, those picks aren’t enough.
If the Commanders are going to do something at the trade deadline, they need to get rid of someone who’s old to get some draft picks.
Trade away: Marshon Lattimore
There are a lot of teams in the NFL that are looking for a capable cornerback, and that’s exactly what 29-year-old Marshon Lattimore is. Is he good? No. Is he bad? No, but also yes.
He’s getting assaulted by quarterbacks, and he’s not holding up… But he did just show some life on Monday Night Football when he made a really good play and picked off Patrick Mahomes. If the Commanders are smart, they’ll acknowledge they made a mistake by trading for him at the deadline last season, know that interception was a delightful fluke, and try to sell high.
His contract goes through the end of the 2026 season, so whoever gets him will have him for another year … But more importantly, the Commanders won’t have him for another year.
It’d be cool if he went back to a team in the NFC South (besides the Buccaneers) so he and Mike Evans could have another go at each other in 2026, assuming Evans re-signs with the Buccs next season. It was fun when those two would just actively fistfight in the middle of games.
If they wanted to replace him, which they probably would, they could trade for the Saints’ cornerback Alontae Taylor. He’s not the kind of corner that’s going to knock your socks off and lock down an entire side of the field, but he’s only 26 years old, and he can play the position good enough to not be a liability.
New York Giants:
The Giants are in a pickle: Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll, their general manager and head coach, are on the verge of getting fired. Schoen did a good thing by trading up to get Jaxson Dart, and Daboll has done a solid job developing him (so far), but they are very far from having any sort of job security past this season.
Their season is once again (for like the 10th time) on the verge of collapse. So, as a franchise, the Giants should be sellers. But since the decision makers are trying not to drown, they might do that thing that drowning people do: grab onto everyone and drag them all down too.
They should be getting as much draft capital as possible to build around Dart, but it also wouldn’t be super surprising if they tried to make a splash.
Trade away: Jalin Hyatt
The Giants drafted Jalin Hyatt in the third round of the 2023 draft. He’s got the speed, versatility, and makeup to be a downfield threat/field stretcher and also a gadgety kind of guy… But the Giants offense doesn’t need a downfield guy or a gadget player; they’re very much a meat-and-potatoes kind of team that needs receivers who can run their routes, help Jaxson Dart, and catch the ball when it comes to them.
The Giants just don’t really use Hyatt. In 2024, he ran 202 routes and was only targeted 19 times. This season, he’s run 70 routes and only been targeted nine times. When the dude plays, he’s just running sprints. So if they’re not going to do anything with him, they might as well try to get something for him while he’s still young.
What would they get? Woof. Maybe a sixth or seventh-round pick? But at least that’s something.
Trade for: Someone good, but probably someone who’s mediocre
I’m sure it would be juicy for the Giants if they were able to trade for someone like Chris Olave, Romeo Doubs, or Jaylen Waddle. That way, they have a real wide receiver room when Malik Nabers comes back next season.
But it would be the most New York Giants thing to do if they traded for someone who doesn’t move the needle and then make them a centerpiece of the passing offense. Those kinds of guys are Jauan Jennings, Rashid Shaheed, and Allen Lazard.
It’s going to be pretty interesting to see how the Giants handle the trade deadline. Will they roll over and die, or will they make a move and then roll over and die a couple of weeks later?